A high-resolution 3D model of the Chauvet cave entrance area (Ardeche, France) : scree, scarp and related caves

Abstract

The exceptional conservation of the Chauvet-Pont-d’Arc cave is linked to three successive collapses, the last of which definitively sealed the entrance to the cave 21,500 years ago. This closure is part of a wider morphogenic dynamic associating ancient karstification and gravitational activities that are still active. Understanding and monitoring the processes at work in the Chauvet-Pont-d’Arc cave (flow of the scree, evolution of the Pillar of Abraham), but also the current and past connections with the cavities associated with Chauvet (Grotte du Treuil, Grotte du Planchard) are essential to the knowledge of the current and past evolution of the site, but also for its management and conservation. The linking of these different geomorphological elements at the level of the entrance sectors had to pass through a high-resolution three-dimensional analysis. A high-resolution 3D model was made of the different geomorphological entities involved (collapse niche, wall, related cavities, the cave itself, etc.). It combines both underground and external elements and covers a space of 25 000 m3 with : about 600 scenes of scans, 400 millions points, 50 millions triangles for the grid areas. It constitutes an integrative reflection base for the study and management of the entrance sectors of the Chauvet-Pont-d’Arc cave.